Legal Column: Contract Language for Change Orders

A short construction contract is a
good match for a small job. Still,
every contract should include a
detailed description of the scope of
the work and its cost, and a
section called "General Conditions"
that covers exclusions, start
and finish times, and dispute resolution
(see last month's Legal
Column).
To complete your short-form
contract, include a payment
schedule and some provision for
handling changes.
Change Orders
The General Conditions should
address all changes that affect both
the scope of work and the contract
price.
Concealed conditions. In
remodeling, you always end up
correcting a problem, like an
underframed header or a rotted
sill, that wasn't factored into your
price because it was hidden until
you started the work. To establish
your right to be paid